Coronary artery disease and plasma apolipoprotein E۴ in mild cognitive impairment

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis and apolipoprotein E۴ (APOE۴) are known risks for Dementia. We sought to evaluate the relationship between coronary atherosclerosis and APOE۴ with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: In a case-control study, subjects with age more than ۶۰ years and recent coronary angiography were evaluated by mini-mental state examination and neuropsychiatry Unit Cognitive Assessment Tool (NUCOG) to find the patients with MCI (n = ۴۰) and the controls with normal cognition (n = ۴۰). Coronary angiography records were re-assessed to find the severity of coronary artery disease by the Gensini scores. Plasma levels of APOE۴ were measured. RESULTS: There were no-significant difference between the ۲ groups regarding the plasma APOE۴ levels (P = ۰.۷۰۶) and the Gensini scores (P = ۰.۲۳۶). Associations between the Gensini scores and the NUCOG scores in the MCI group (r = −۰.۱۹۶, P = ۰.۲۲۵) and the control group (r = ۰.۱۸۹, P = ۰.۲۴۳) were not significant. However, the interaction effect between the Gensini and the NUCOG scores based on allocation to the control or the patient groups showed statistically significant difference (F(۱,۶۷) = ۴.۸۴, P = ۰.۰۳۱). CONCLUSION: Although atherosclerosis has been considered as known risk factor for dementia and MCI, this study could not reveal that coronary atherosclerosis-related to declining in cognitive functioning. There was no significant association between plasma APOE۴ levels and MCI.   Keywords: Mild Cognitive Impairment, Coronary Artery, Angiography, Apolipoprotein E۴